The discovery of dendritic spines by Cajal
نویسنده
چکیده
Dendritic spines were considered an artifact of the Golgi method until a brash Spanish histologist, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, bet his scientific career arguing that they were indeed real, correctly deducing their key role in mediating synaptic connectivity. This article reviews the historical context of the discovery of spines and the reasons behind Cajal's obsession with them, all the way till his deathbed.
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Remembrance of Things Overlooked: The Discovery of Dendritic Spine Function.
Dendritic spines receive excitatory or inhibitory input from axons. As a component of the synapse, dendritic spines are present on most principal neurons in the brain. Numbering from the hundreds to thousands in a single neuron, they make complex wiring of the nervous system possible. Dendritic spines are likely involved in learning and memory, and may play roles in disorders ranging from cogni...
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